The hospital officially opened in May 1994. Funded by Sir Run Run Shaw and launched under a Sino-US co-management model, it is an international public Grade-A tertiary hospital. It was the first hospital in mainland China to earn JCI accreditation, the first in China to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, and is also ANCC Magnet recognized. For its first five years, it was managed by Loma Linda University, becoming a living model for East-West hospital management exchange.

The hospital has 49 clinical and medical technology departments, 150 nursing units, 4,300 approved beds, and more than 8,500 staff. It currently offers 43 doctoral degree programs and 50 master's degree programs, supported by 29 clinical teaching and research offices or groups.

It is known worldwide for minimally invasive surgery and international patient care. More than 80% of surgeries are minimally invasive, and robotic surgery volume remains among the highest in China. Aligned with Mayo Clinic care standards, the hospital provides end-to-end international patient services, with costs about 1/3 to 1/5 of those in Europe and the US, and shorter waiting times.